The cornerback formerly known as Nigel Patten who now goes by Nigel Bethel committed to the University of Miami on Friday, setting off a celebration in the coaches office in Coral Gables.

The Miami Booker T. Washington cornerback, who worked out at FSU’s Jimbo Fisher Football Camp on Thursday in Tallahassee, decided during his way back to Miami that home was where his heart was and his group stopped at a rest area in order for him to make the call.

“I decided on the way home,” the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Bethel said. “I just felt like Miami was the right place for me and my family. I want to eat in my hometown and bring back a national championship to Miami.

Bethel, who is the No. 27-ranked player in the Sentinel’s 2014 Florida Top 100, visited FSU and Alabama this summer, and with both schools needing to show him something better than what the hometown Hurricanes had to offer. Neither was able to do that.

He talked on Thursday after the FSU camp about how the Seminoles could be laying groundwork for a BTW pipeline to Tallahassee with 2013 linebacker Matthew Thomas now a freshman and 2014 quarterback Treon Harris having committed to FSU earlier this month.

“They were the first team to offer me,” Bethel said of the Seminoles on Thursday, “so I’m always having FSU in my pocket with me. You could say it could be making for a little BTW pipeline.”

But by Friday he was over the feeling and back with his hometown team.

“They have been my dream school and I’ve always looked up to guys like Brandon Harris,” Bethel said. “So now I’m looking to hopefully follow in the footsteps of Brandon Harris.”

Harris is a former BTW corner who played three seasons at Miami before moving on the NFL. He enters his third season with the Houston Texans, who drafted him in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Bethel said Coach Golden was “pumped up,” upon learning of his decision.

“Coach Golden was very excited. He couldnt’ beieve it. I guess he thought I was going to commit somewhere else,” Bethel said. “He told me I made the best decision of my life and that he’s going to teach me how to be a great young man and he’s going to show me how to play the nickel [defense] and how be be a very versatile player.”

Now Bethel will turn his attention to other side of the recruiting process, and his focus will be on teammate Chad Thomas, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end who was also getting some royal treatment from FSU head coach Fisher and the rest of the staff in Tallahassee on Thursday.

“Oh yeah, I’m going to try to get Chad Thomas to come, and once he commits to Miami … it’s a wrap,” Bethel said.

Of the 21 Miami commitments to the 2014 recruiting class, Bethel is the second BTW recruit, so far, joining DE Dememtrius Jackson (6-4, 230).

As a junior last season, Bethel had five interceptions in limited time since Booker T., the 4A state champion, usually was on the winning end of numerous lop-sided margins.

“I probably played two full games out of the whole season,” he said.

Bethel decided to change his name from Patten when he turned 18 in April and could legally make the change.

“I went by Patten, which was my mom’s name, but she got remarried and she no longer has that name, so I changed my name to Bethel,” he said. “Nigel Bethel is my father’s name and he wanted me to have his name.”

Dalvin Cook, Miami Central (The 247 CMP column designates the ranking of each player on the 247Sports.com's composite rankings, which is an average ranking based on several major recruiting sources.) FINAL update Feb. 2 : OS247 RKCMPPLAYERPOS HT WTSCHOOLSIGNED 11Dalvin...